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In 2021, 122 farmers in cities within Erie County received a total of $1.6 million in 253 farm subsidies, a 65% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $4.5 million in 530 farm subsidies.
Though farm subsidies support agriculture in the U.S., pumping $7 trillion into the economy, they are not without controversy.
The American Action Forum discovered that the most highly subsidized crops - corn, soy, wheat, and rice - are often consumed in highly processed ways, which leads to unhealthy eating habits and obesity, while the fruits and vegetables needed for a healthy diet are rarely subsidized.
"We are consuming more calories, fats, sodium, and sugars, and not enough beneficial nutrients and vitamins," Tara O'Neill Hayes wrote. "It is critical that both policymakers and the American public understand the influence that federal agricultural subsidies have on our food supply and diet and, in turn, our nutrition and health."
Farm subsidies have also been criticized for assisting the highest-earning agricultural businesses, not local farmers on their family farms who are barely getting by.
Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance said farmer subsidies "help high-income corporations, not poor rural farmers. Most of the money goes toward large agribusinesses."
The U.S. has provided farm subsidies since the Great Depression to assist farmers who weather price fluctuations and disasters, to help maintain consistent farming across the country.
Farmers and Their Subsidies in Cities Associated with Erie County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gc-Acres, LLC | $262,939 | $139,784 | -46.8% |
| Happy Hollow Dairy Farm, LLC | $237,074 | $135,458 | -42.9% |
| Blesy Farms, LLC | $241,891 | $129,726 | -46.4% |
| Anchor Farms, Inc. | $226,200 | $101,452 | -55.1% |
| Early View Farm, LLC | $123,244 | $82,342 | -33.2% |
| Kreher's Poultry Farms | $172,098 | $74,661 | -56.6% |
| Joe Telaak & Sons | $63,118 | $59,040 | -6.5% |
| Meyer Hill Dairy, LLC | $85,392 | $57,858 | -32.2% |
| Foss Brothers | $71,162 | $57,427 | -19.3% |
| Jeanne M. Langan | $48,384 | $48,647 | 0.5% |
| Gayle A. Thorpe | $107,065 | $45,181 | -57.8% |
| Ryan Ploetz | $53,067 | $42,720 | -19.5% |
| Jonathan Tschachtli | $54,547 | $39,761 | -27.1% |
| Linda Wight | $37,355 | $33,381 | -10.6% |
| Claymount Farms, Inc. | $84,191 | $30,506 | -63.8% |
| Brian K. Rogers | $60,949 | $28,563 | -53.1% |
| Donald Rachwal Jr. | $23,704 | $28,369 | 19.7% |
| Car-Mar-Lu Farm | $27,768 | $26,411 | -4.9% |
| Stahl Dairy Farm | $37,123 | $23,031 | -38% |
| Ledge Creek Farms, LLC | $34,806 | $23,018 | -33.9% |
| Root Down Farm, Inc. | $0 | $21,059 | -- |
| James Emerling | $16,793 | $20,772 | 23.7% |
| David Brucker | $29,074 | $20,742 | -28.7% |
| Zittel's Dairy Farm, LLC | $48,451 | $20,720 | -57.2% |
| Darliene L Fintak | $23,102 | $17,189 | -25.6% |
| Fred & Karl Hofmann | $40,210 | $16,693 | -58.5% |
| Russel D Vacinek | $22,703 | $16,545 | -27.1% |
| Horizon View Enterprises, LLC | $29,621 | $16,159 | -45.4% |
| Ponderosa, LLC | $0 | $14,140 | -- |
| Leonard Janiga | $41,268 | $12,596 | -69.5% |
| Chiavetta's Potatoes and Greenhouse | $0 | $10,239 | -- |
| Buffalo Land Company, LLC | $12,318 | $8,500 | -31% |
| Charles G. Karcher | $21,232 | $7,980 | -62.4% |
| Liberatore Properties, LLC | $1,385 | $7,255 | 423.8% |
| Matthew C. Karcher | $23,893 | $7,140 | -70.1% |
| Tobias W. Schrock | $0 | $7,113 | -- |
| Gerald Nason | $11,858 | $6,340 | -46.5% |
| Creekside Farms | $0 | $5,421 | -- |
| Darren C. Wight | $11,371 | $5,032 | -55.7% |
| David Sescil | $9,541 | $4,886 | -48.8% |
| Thomas J. Pautler | $9,095 | $4,842 | -46.8% |
| William Frey | $12,173 | $4,708 | -61.3% |
| Ellen Krzemien | $0 | $4,575 | -- |
| Alvin J. Odell Jr. | $13,027 | $4,474 | -65.7% |
| Thomas J. Poppenberg | $0 | $4,342 | -- |
| David Lampe | $4,128 | $4,128 | 0% |
| Jeremy M. Kanner | $4,812 | $4,079 | -15.2% |
| Gary J. Emerling | $3,311 | $3,591 | 8.5% |
| Douglas Sescil | $6,485 | $3,470 | -46.5% |
| Elsie Hofstetter Trust | $6,552 | $3,449 | -47.4% |
| Margaret Berry | $9,006 | $3,170 | -64.8% |
| Utley Acres, Inc. | $6,856 | $3,067 | -55.3% |
| Marvin Charles Zittel | $7,842 | $2,993 | -61.8% |
| Brian Criswell | $18,081 | $2,943 | -83.7% |
| Ann M. Wielgosz | $2,858 | $2,858 | 0% |
| John K. Kelkenberg | $0 | $2,610 | -- |
| William L. Lutz | $4,370 | $2,395 | -45.2% |
| Jerome Kostanciak | $9,222 | $2,230 | -75.8% |
| D & D Dairy | $18,113 | $2,213 | -87.8% |
| Jeffrey Jendrowski | $47,304 | $1,978 | -95.8% |
| David P. Mariacher | $2,500 | $1,829 | -26.8% |
| Kenneth Wittmeyer | $1,754 | $1,754 | 0% |
| Kenneth L. Fix | $11,795 | $1,748 | -85.2% |
| David A. Cesar | $3,184 | $1,709 | -46.3% |
| DMLL, LLC | $1,656 | $1,656 | 0% |
| J T Friel, LLC | $4,613 | $1,583 | -65.7% |
| Brian Fitzgerald | $1,581 | $1,581 | 0% |
| Wideman Farms, LLC | $11,627 | $1,493 | -87.2% |
| Elaine Sager | $0 | $1,303 | -- |
| Michael R Dollendorf | $0 | $1,277 | -- |
| Rodney Krysztof | $1,241 | $1,241 | 0% |
| Douglas Bruning | $3,146 | $1,211 | -61.5% |
| Gross-Gross Family Farm, LLC | $1,138 | $1,138 | 0% |
| Mary Therese Kross | $1,137 | $1,137 | 0% |
| Vacco Farms, Inc. | $101,562 | $1,124 | -98.9% |
| John David Jarrett | $2,249 | $1,105 | -50.9% |
| Isaac Smith | $1,305 | $1,010 | -22.6% |
| Lynette M. Swendsen | $222 | $965 | 334.7% |
| Peter R. Swendsen | $214 | $956 | 346.7% |
| Akron Acres, LLC | $4,655 | $953 | -79.5% |
| Donald J. Rosiek | $12,921 | $936 | -92.8% |
| Cynthia L. Haskell | $1,804 | $927 | -48.6% |
| Darold W Conklin Revocable Trust | $0 | $832 | -- |
| Albert C. Hummer | $825 | $825 | 0% |
| Robert Brucker | $2,463 | $814 | -67% |
| Richard Raykowski | $1,411 | $767 | -45.6% |
| Linda G. Fitzgerald | $749 | $749 | 0% |
| Berner Farms | $51,777 | $747 | -98.6% |
| Gary Baker | $668 | $664 | -0.6% |
| Raymond Balcerzak Jr. | $3,780 | $582 | -84.6% |
| Joseph M. Grover | $992 | $571 | -42.4% |
| David J. Bruning | $15,777 | $566 | -96.4% |
| Roger L. Mauck | $1,276 | $542 | -57.5% |
| Joseph J Schieber | $0 | $526 | -- |
| Dona M. Heary | $913 | $512 | -43.9% |
| Groundwork Market Garden, Inc. | $3,925 | $500 | -87.3% |
| Dygert Equine Services, LLC | $2,386 | $443 | -81.4% |
| Joseph Kwilos | $4,269 | $440 | -89.7% |
| Troy Richie | $1,106 | $421 | -61.9% |
| Donald S. Sommer | $811 | $399 | -50.8% |
| Mitchell Estate | $1,109 | $370 | -66.6% |
| Casey James Kvale | $364 | $364 | 0% |
| Michael Whalen | $0 | $351 | -- |
| Mary a Whitford Revocable Trust | $408 | $234 | -42.6% |
| David W. Brown | $1,055 | $153 | -85.5% |
| James N. Dotson | $300 | $126 | -58% |
| Michael Kordrupel JR | $3,726 | $124 | -96.7% |
| Ward A. Bruning | $105 | $105 | 0% |
| Keith Shulsky | $103 | $103 | 0% |
| Lee M. Dobbins | $859 | $30 | -96.5% |
| Richard Kubis | $304 | $28 | -90.8% |
| Kreher Enterprises, LLC | $39,963 | $27 | -99.9% |
| James A. Burkard | $248 | $26 | -89.5% |
| Gerald Pacillo | $311 | $24 | -92.3% |
| Maple Row, LLC | $1,131 | $12 | -98.9% |
| Holly R. Nachbar | $79 | $10 | -87.3% |
| Charles E. Bauer | $325 | $8 | -97.5% |
| Daniel S. Hoffman | $42 | $8 | -81% |
| Stephen Fitzpatrick | $535 | $5 | -99.1% |
| Harold K. Trapper | $139 | $4 | -97.1% |
| Helen Kelkenberg | $111 | $2 | -98.2% |
| Eric P Hinsken | $1,412 | $2 | -99.9% |
| Bedford's Greenhouse, Inc. | $91,858 | $0 | -100% |
| James Owen | $43 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark T Sivecz | $259 | $0 | -100% |
| Norman B. Heiman | $84 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond Schrock | $1,441 | $0 | -100% |
| Steven C. Richardson | $446 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas Owen | $43 | $0 | -100% |
| Chiavetta's Potatoes and Greenhou | $47,314 | $0 | -100% |
| Jerome Saab | $1,104 | $0 | -100% |
| Philip Siragusa Jr. | $677 | $0 | -100% |
| A. T. Chiavetta & Sons, Inc. | $4,476 | $0 | -100% |
| Anthony Andolina | $1,733 | $0 | -100% |
| Christopher Skonecki | $685 | $0 | -100% |
| Flat 12 Mushrooms, LLC | $11,141 | $0 | -100% |
| Westside Tilth Farm, LLC | $4,608 | $0 | -100% |
| George Weckerle III | $7,940 | $0 | -100% |
| George Weckerle IV | $16,868 | $0 | -100% |
| Kreher's Farm Fresh EGGS, LLC | $393,372 | $0 | -100% |
| Kreher's Sunrise Farms, LLC | $318,985 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne County EGGS, LLC | $19,939 | $0 | -100% |
| Arthur J Todtenhagen | $108 | $0 | -100% |
| John Kelkenberg | $12,479 | $0 | -100% |
| Boston Hill Nursery, Inc. | $2,703 | $0 | -100% |
| Barbara A. Schilling | $421 | $0 | -100% |
| Benjamin Smith | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Erba Verde Farms, LLC | $3,734 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $32,726 | $0 | -100% |
| Masterson's Garden Center, Inc. | $1,780 | $0 | -100% |
| R & D Janiga Enterprises, LLC | $20,349 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard A. Martin | $121 | $0 | -100% |
| Stanley Travis | $309 | $0 | -100% |
| Bippert's Farms, LLC | $920 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Hilliker | $5,943 | $0 | -100% |
| Rita Conklin | $1,655 | $0 | -100% |
| Brandon J. Pepper | $176 | $0 | -100% |
| Carl M. Smith | $2,509 | $0 | -100% |
| Colony 51, LLC | $160 | $0 | -100% |
| David N. Witkowski | $18 | $0 | -100% |
| Gullo's Garden Center, LLC | $179,351 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth a Henry Sons, Inc. | $63,919 | $0 | -100% |
| Monaco Enterprises of WNY, Inc. | $4,898 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald Draudt & Sons, LLC | $67,774 | $0 | -100% |
| Adams Nursery & Garden Center, LLC | $193,221 | $0 | -100% |
| Gerald Hinsken III | $1,501 | $0 | -100% |
| Loren Pletscher | $12,280 | $0 | -100% |
| William Hopkins | $16 | $0 | -100% |
| Byron Mesch | $1,184 | $0 | -100% |
| Dygert Farm | $181 | $0 | -100% |
| Harold Hill | $5,438 | $0 | -100% |
| Jason Gabel | $133 | $0 | -100% |
| John C. Rosier Forevergreens | $8,266 | $0 | -100% |
| Keith Ploetz | $3,488 | $0 | -100% |
| Laura Colligan | $2,808 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Beres | $7,702 | $0 | -100% |
| Steven Czajkowski | $161 | $0 | -100% |
| Wilma Sebzda | $5,303 | $0 | -100% |
| Rooted Locally, LLC | $2,629 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $4,465,003 | $1,563,624 | -65% |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
Village of Angola• Colden• Clarence Center• Brant• Village of Blasdell• Town of Elma• Village of Hamburg• Marilla• Village of Williamsville• Sardinia• Village of Akron• City of Buffalo• East Aurora Village• Village Of Springville• Town Of Grand Island• Clarence• Village Of Lancaster• Village Of Kenmore
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